


And Where's Home For You, Sir?

by YouCanJive



Series: Time is the Longest Distance (Between Two Places) [10]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Gen, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, friendship!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-08 04:27:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19863466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YouCanJive/pseuds/YouCanJive
Summary: And, really, Tony was glad Darcy had all these friends.Just as he’d predicted, Darcy was loving college and college was loving her right back. She’d grown up, grown into herself so much. He’d been able to tell in their talks over the phone, but especially so when he saw her at Christmas.She was still so very young. But she also had an air about her of somebody who knew who they were (or was figuring it out, anyway).





	1. Fall

Darcy’s first year at Culver seemed to fly by.

That feeling was only exacerbated by the frequent trips up and down the East Coast she’d been taking, so eager to see this undiscovered part of the country.

Though Darcy’s mother was from Maryland, just outside DC, and her grandfather still lived there, Darcy had never been. Her grandfather had always flown to Idaho for holidays in the past, since there was plenty of room at their house in Bonners Ferry and it was easier for him to go there than for Darcy, her parents, and her other grandfather to all travel to Maryland (especially once Darcy had gotten sick).

Consequently, Darcy had never gotten to see too much of her _Zaydeh_ growing up, and she was really enjoying having him within such a close distance now.

Darcy’s only Friday class (Intro to World Literatures) finished at 11am, so she had taken to driving up to Maryland a weekend or two every month to spend time with him, then driving back down on Sunday afternoon.

Darcy’s roommate Lisa was from Charleston, which she insisted was beautiful and iconic and would help Darcy understand her lit professor’s obsession with all things southern gothic. So over fall break Darcy, Lisa, and their friend Gabby had all driven down to South Carolina to see the place, enjoy the end of the beach season, and have a bit of fun without having to pay for a hostel.

Even though Darcy and Lisa shared a room back at school, something about Darcy and Gabby sleeping on an air mattress on the floor of Lisa’s childhood room made them all giddy and giggly. They barely slept a wink while they were there, staying up until all hours talking about any and everything. When Lisa’s younger brother complained they were keeping him up at night, the three of them could only guffaw in response.

For Thanksgiving, Darcy tagged along with Gabby, who was from Philadelphia, and got to experience her first big-family Thanksgiving, just like the ones in the movies.

It was chaotic and overwhelming and Darcy _loved it._

She spent most of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in the kitchen with Gabby’s father, aunt, and grandma, helping prepare the feast, and by the time they were sitting down for dinner on Thursday they were all treating her like just one more member of the family.

She was a bit overwhelmed, though, and by Friday she needed some time away. It worked out well to give her a chance to go explore the city with Gabby.

(On the drive back to school, Darcy wondered if Gabby was so quiet _because of_ or _in spite of_ her large, loud, chaotic family.)

And then, before she knew how it had happened, the end of the semester was upon them.

Darcy finished her last exam and, after a hug for Lisa and Gabby and a kiss for Rob, was on the now-familiar road to Maryland.

She’d be flying back home for the break, but after a glance at her exams schedule Darcy had decided to fly out of DC and to add in a two-day stop there, so she could spend the last two nights of Chanukah with her Zaydeh.

Being back home for the break had felt… well, like coming home.

The sights, smells, sounds, the routines and the faces around her were all so familiar.

But they were also strange.

Without realizing it, Darcy had gotten used to the noises of her dorm, from the constant clash of different people’s music players on the background to the constant sound of footfalls on the stairs to the soundtrack of Lisa’s breathing when she went to sleep.

She’d also gotten used to having practically all her friends – with one prominent exception – just a few doors away, and three different coffee shops to choose from within a five-minute walking radius. Her parents kept good-naturedly rolling their eyes each time she mentioned _the convenience_ and _the variety_.

(Chuck may have gotten annoyed if Darcy’s comments about all the things she’d gotten used to back at school weren’t often preceded by a statement about all the things she’d _missed_ about home.)


	2. Winter

The months after his road trip with Darcy had been immensely busy for Tony.

Between the negotiations with the Army, finalizing a few projects, designing, testing, and perfecting a few new ones, and trying to still have some semblance of a life and feel like a human through it all, Tony had practically lost track of the days.

If it weren’t for Pepper’s constant reminders about his schedule and the semi-regular calls he shared with Darcy about twice a week, Tony probably wouldn’t know what day, or likely even what month he lived on.

Which was the only reason why he was so startled when Darcy told him she’d be going to New York with Rob for spring break.

It was because he hadn’t realized it was even time for spring break.

It was certainly not because he’d imagined being the one to take Darcy to New York. To share his favorite spots and stories. To take her to the Italian bakery from which he still ordered a cake for his birthday every year. To see her face as she saw his hometown for the very first time.

And, really, Tony was glad Darcy had all these friends.

Just as he’d predicted, Darcy was loving college and college was loving her right back. She’d grown up, grown into herself so much. He’d been able to tell in their talks over the phone, but especially so when he saw her at Christmas.

She was still so very young. But she also had an air about her of somebody who knew who they were (or was figuring it out, anyway).

She no longer looked to her parents for approval when she spoke of her future.

She actively participated in their conversations, voicing her own opinions and even disagreeing or correcting them, citing bits and pieces from the news, from things she was reading, from her own experiences.

She even carried herself differently. Her clothes were still the same ( _how much flannel could one girl own?_ ), but she looked different in them. More confident. More adult. Like she was more comfortable in her own body.

(Tony tried very hard not to think about the sorts of activities that might have led to that newfound comfort.)

Tony _knew_ a lot of these changes derived from her new friendships.

He knew that Darcy had had a hard time at school before, had always felt a little odd in her very small community and school.

Knew that Darcy’s self-consciousness about the sacrifices her parents had made to be there for her and get her the best treatment possible; about her parents’ lives having essentially revolved around hers; about how that ridiculous girl, Meghan, had said Darcy exaggerated her disease for attention, had all led her to try to make herself small and unobtrusive.

He had known that leaving Bonners Ferry, that moving away and starting college would give Darcy an opportunity to step out of that role she had been playing and start really figuring out who she was, who she wanted to be.

And he knew, listening to Darcy talk about her day, and her friends, and her classes, and her plans over the past few months, then seeing her at Christmas, that she _had_ found a home for herself, that she was actively building one.

He knew the boy – _Rob_ – was part of that growth.

He was happy for her. Really.

(But did he have to be from Jersey?)


	3. Spring

When Rob had brought up her going to New York with him for spring break, Darcy hadn’t thought much of it.

She’d gone to Lisa’s for fall break. She’d gone to Gabby’s for Thanksgiving. Why shouldn’t she go to Rob’s for spring break?

It wasn’t until weeks after she’d already agreed, when she asked Lisa and Gabby if they’d be joining them and they gave her twin incredulous looks, that Darcy realized that _of course this was different._

Rob was her friend, like Gabby and Lisa. But, unlike Gabby and Lisa, he was sleeping with her (he was her _boyfriend_ , not just a boy who was her friend), and that made this trip different from the ones she’d taken with her other friends.

Once she’d started thinking about her trip to New York through that lens – _I’m going to my boyfriend’s house for spring break_ – she was amazed by how much this trip resembled those she’d taken with Gabby and Lisa, and yet how very different it really was.

She’d met Lisa’s and Gabby’s families before. But she’d only really worried about not being a nuisance, not about making sure they liked her.

She’d stayed in Lisa’s and Gabby’s rooms when she visited. But she’d felt none of the self-consciousness and embarrassment then that she’d felt when, after the welcome hugs and introductions, Rob had taken her bag in one hand and her hand in the other and told his parents he was “just going to drop our stuff off in our room.”

It all made her a little anxious, a little uncertain. But it was also exciting.

She felt very grown up.

Darcy didn’t know the words to describe New York City.

It was massive and busy and dirty and there were at least three things anywhere she looked that completely captured her attention.

It was a good thing that Rob was holding her hand through most of their time in the city, because Darcy kept falling behind.

For one, she kept staring at the buildings, the people, the colorful signs and ads for anything under the sky.

For another, she was so thrown by everything around her that she kept splitting her time between staring up at the sky, so unused to seeing it as only a tiny patch mostly blocked by skyscrapers, and down at the ground, to make sure she wasn’t stepping on anything or anyone along the crowded sidewalks.

(She recalled how Tony teased her about being a country bumpkin and suddenly understood with perfect clarity. How small and provincial her life must seem to him, when he had grown up amidst all this.)

Rob was sweet and gentle and so incredibly deferential to what Darcy might want to do during this trip that she felt a bit overwhelmed.

His love for what he considered his hometown (though Tony insisted that _there’s a huge difference between Jersey City and New York, kid_ ) was evident in his readiness with five different plans for any mood that might strike Darcy and the way his chest puffed out with pride every time Darcy voiced her surprise or approval.

It was almost as if loving New York were part of his identity.

Darcy couldn’t help but wonder if that was due in part to the words written across the back of his calf, right below the bend of his knee: _And where’s home for you, sir?_

It was near impossible (in most cases, at least) to guess the context in which one might hear one’s words, but Darcy had to imagine that, with words like that, Rob did not expect to meet his soulmate for some time still.

She wondered if that was a factor in his willingness to start a relationship with somebody who was clearly not his soulmate.

Not that he needed a reason to pursue a relationship outside of his soulmate, of course. While many people thought it was simpler, less messy, to wait for The One, others thought it silly to wait around for somebody who might not come along for years – or even decades.

Not that Darcy had really ever spoken about soulmates in general or their soulmarks in particular with Rob.

What could she say? ‘ _Yes, I have met my soulmate already. No, I can’t tell you who it is. But I promise we’re not romantically involved!_ ’ Who would believe that?

But Darcy didn’t want to lie about her soulmark, either. It felt wrong to deny Tony’s existence in her life like that.

So, rather than put herself in that position, Darcy simply did not speak about her soulmark or anyone else’s. Some people thought it impolite or disrespectful to do so, and while Darcy wasn’t among them, she was happy to let people think she was so they would let her be.

Rob, ever respectful of Darcy and her choices, had never asked Darcy about her mark, nor offered any information on his.

Whatever the reason for Rob’s incredible love for and knowledge of New York City, Darcy was definitely reaping the benefits.

Rob had been game for whatever plan she proposed, had had a restaurant proposal to match every craving Darcy had voiced, and had gone to every museum she had suggested.

When she asked about the Museum of the American Gangster, which she had read about online, Rob’s eyes widened like those of a kid in a candy store: he’d never heard of it before, but he was delighted to discover a new piece of New York (and to do it with her at his side, he immediately added).

Darcy was convinced that, objectively-speaking, Rob was the best New York City tour guide anybody could ever have.

Which only made Darcy feel worse when, at each of the many places Rob took her to over their spring break, her immediate reaction was to either recall what Tony had told her about it in the past or wonder what he would say about it if it were him with her now, rather than Rob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe that almost wasn't the title for this story? I had chosen something else, then on my last read-through before posting I suddenly realized that Rob's soulmark was clearly the right title. All four chapters are so much about _home_ I'm a little annoyed at myself for not having figure it out at first!


	4. Summer

When Darcy asked him if she could stay with him for part of her summer break, Tony’s first thought was ‘ _Yes, absolutely, I’ll send a jet to fetch you this instant._ ’

Because worrying about Darcy’s safety was a deeper instinct than his impulsiveness, though, what he actually said was “Let me check on a couple things first.”

Three days later, impromptu vacations organized for Happy and Tony’s housekeeping staff, and Pepper and Obie newly scheduled to attend a two-week industry summit in Japan then go off on an inspection tour of SI facilities throughout the country, Tony let Darcy know he’d love to have her over.

“You’re free to do what you wish, go where you want, but I won’t be able to go out with you,” he explained on her first evening in Malibu. “I’m too recognizable here and there are too many cameras.”

Darcy’s response was muffled by the taco in her mouth. The accompanying eyeroll, however, was enough of a context clue for Tony to interpret it: “I _know_ , Tony.”

Tony raised his eyebrows, shrugged his shoulders, and put his hands up, palms out, in a response just as clear as Darcy’s: “I’m just sayin’.”

After an academically and personally busy year, Darcy was happy to stay mainly indoors and be a homebody with Tony.

JARVIS’s ability to protect the perimeter of the property and to give them advance notice of any presence nearby meant that she could even go out into Tony’s private pool _and_ beach.

On her first morning in Malibu, Tony tried to make breakfast and Darcy woke up to JARVIS informing her there was no need to panic, but she should go to the kitchen. Once there, she found Tony, holding a frying pan in an outstretched arm and frozen in place, covered from head to toe in fire-extinguisher foam. One of his bots (Dum-E, she thought) stood a couple feet away, a spent fire extinguisher clutched in its claw.

Darcy laughed and laughed, then set Tony to clean up the mess while she started on some pancakes.

On her third night in Malibu, Tony rejiggered one of his holographic screens and hooked it up outside and they watched _WALL_ _·_ _E_ from the pool. She looked curiously between the robot on the screen to Tony’s bots, who were watching along from a few feet away from the pool, then turned to Tony. The proud look on his face said her question was clear on her face.

“I may have answered a few questions for the folks over at Pixar about bot programming and construction and how different bots might move,” he explained, the smile on his face belying his nonchalant tone.

Darcy didn’t know whether to be impressed at her soulmate’s genius or at his sentimentality, having Pixar name their robot protagonist after Tony’s first bot.

When she’d been there for a week, after Tony finally made himself ask how things were with Rob, Darcy shyly admitted that they had broken up at the end of the semester.

“We decided we were better off as friends,” was all she said by way of an explanation, and her tone and body language made it clear that she did not want to talk about it. He let it be.

Tony made them ice cream sundaes for dinner that evening.

When she stumbled into his workshop and found him working away at 3am one night, Darcy made them hot cocoa and led him over to the sofa in the corner. He pulled over a couple screens and continued working from his new position while Darcy sat by him, watching and listening to him explain what he was doing. Eventually, Darcy fell asleep, her head resting on Tony’s shoulder.

When it came time for Darcy to pack up and head back to her parents’ for a few weeks before returning to Culver for her sophomore year, Tony was startled to realize how used he’d gotten to the way things had been the past few weeks.

After weeks of not leaving his house, the press was probably running all sorts of stories about him being arrested or hospitalized or even dead, but Tony found he didn’t care. For the first time in much too long, Tony had felt completely at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [tumblr](https://you-can-jive.tumblr.com/)!


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